Configuration Plans and Proposal Deadlines
VLA Configuration Plans and Proposal Deadlines
The antennas in the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) are placed in specific configurations - see the Introduction to the VLA OSS.
The NRAO has a semester system with proposal deadlines Feb 1 and Aug 1. If a deadline should fall on a holiday or weekend, it moves to the next working day. Requests can be made for a VLA configuration linked to a future deadline, as long as a configuration within the semester of the call is also requested.
For the next proposal deadline we refer to the following table. The Call for Proposals goes out approximately 1 month prior to the deadline. A plot showing the estimated amount of science time available per LST hour can be viewed by clicking on a particular configuration.
VLA Configuration Plans and Proposal Deadlines
(Click on the configurations to see a plot of the estimated available observing hours as a function of LST and weather conditions.)
| Semester |
Observing Period | Configuration |
Proposal Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026A | 2026 June 19 - 2025 Sep 14 | D | 2025 Jul 29 |
| 2026A | 2026 Feb 20 - 2026 Jun 01* | A | 2025 Jul 29 |
| -- | 2026 Jan 23 - 2026 Feb 09 | BnA† | -- |
| 2025B | 2025 Sep 10 - 2026 Jan 19* | B | 2025 Jan 29 |
| 2025A | 2025 May 29 - 2025 Aug 25* | C | 2024 Jul 31 |
| 2025A | 2025 Feb 21 - 2025 May 19* | D | 2024 Jul 31 |
| 2024B | 2024 Oct 18 - 2025 Feb 03* | A | 2024 Jan 31 |
| -- | 2024 Sep 20 - 2024 Oct 07* | BnA† | -- |
| 2024A | 2024 May 08 - 2024 Sep 16* | B | 2023 Aug 02 |
| 2024A | 2024 Jan 25 - 2024 Apr 22 | C | 2023 Aug 02 |
| 2023B | 2023 Oct 20 - 2024 Jan 15 | D | 2023 Feb 01 |
| 2023A | 2023 Jun 30 - 2023 Oct 02 | A | 2022 Aug 01 |
| -- | 2023 Jun 02 - 2023 Jun 19 |
BnA† | -- |
| 2023A | 2023 Jan 19 - 2023 May 29 |
B | 2022 Aug 01 |
| 2022B | 2022 Oct 06 - 2023 Jan 03 | C | 2022 Feb 01 |
| 2022A | 2022 Jul 22 - 2022 Sep 26 | D | 2021 Aug 02 |
| 2022A | 2022 Mar 04 - 2022 Jul 05 | A | 2021 Aug 02 |
| -- | 2022 Feb 04 - 2022 Feb 22 | BnA† | -- |
| 2021B | 2021 Sep 29 - 2022 Jan 31 | B | 2021 Feb 01 |
| 2021A | 2021 Jun 10 - 2021 Sep 13 | C | 2020 Aug 03 |
| 2021A | 2021 Mar 20 - 2021 May 31 | D | 2020 Aug 03 |
| 2020B | 2020 Dec 7 - 2021 Mar 01 | A | 2020 Feb 03 |
| -- | 2020 Oct 23 - 2020 Nov 09 | BnA† | -- |
| 2020A | 2020 Jun 24 - 2020 Oct 19 | B | 2019 Aug 01 |
| 2020A | 2020 Feb 06 - 2020 Jun 08 | C | 2019 Aug 01 |
| 2019B | 2019 Nov 08 - 2020 Jan 27 | D | 2019 Feb 01 |
| 2019A | 2019 Aug 02 - 2019 Oct 21 | A | 2018 Aug 01 |
| -- | 2019 Jul 05 - 2019 Jul 22 | BnA† | -- |
| 2019A | 2019 Feb 20 - 2019 Jul 01 | B | 2018 Aug 01 |
| 2018B | 2018 Nov 19 - 2019 Feb 04 | C | 2018 Feb 01 |
| 2018A | 2018 Aug 31 - 2018 Nov 13 | D | 2017 Aug 01 |
| 2018A | 2018 Mar 02 - 2018 Jun 11 | A | 2017 Aug 01 |
| -- | 2018 Feb 02 - 2018 Feb 19 | BnA† | -- |
| 2017B | 2017 Sep 13 - 2018 Jan 29 | B | 2017 Feb 01 |
| 2017A | 2017 May 25 - 2017 Aug 28 | C | 2016 Aug 01 |
| 2017A | 2017 Feb 10 - 2017 May 15 | D | 2016 Aug 01 |
| 2016B | 2016 Sep 23 - 2017 Jan 23 | A | 2016 Feb 01 |
| 2016A | 2016 May 27 - 2016 Sep 05 | B | 2015 Aug 03 |
| 2016A | 2016 Apr 29 - 2016 May 16 | CnB | 2015 Aug 03 |
| 2016A | 2016 Feb 05 - 2016 Apr 25 | C | 2015 Aug 03 |
| 2015B | 2016 Jan 08 - 2016 Jan 25 | DnC | 2015 Feb 02 |
| 2015B | 2015 Oct 13 - 2016 Jan 04 | D | 2015 Feb 02 |
* - dates preliminary
† - BnA configuration reserved exclusively for VLA Sky Survey
VLA LST at Midnight Mountain Time (hours)
| Jan 1 | Feb 1 | Mar 1 | Apr 1 | May 1 | Jun 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.4 | 8.4 | 10.4 | 11.4 | 13.4 | 15.4 |
| Jul 1 | Aug 1 | Sep 1 | Oct 1 | Nov 1 | Dec 1 |
| 17.4 | 19.4 | 21.4 | 23.4 | 1.4 | 4.4 |
